AUBURN — The Alabama Farmers Federation scholarship program continues to cultivate the next generation of agriculturists.
Seventy-seven students were recognized Monday during the annual awards program at Lazenby Farms in Auburn. The partnership between the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation (AFAF) and county Farmers Federations awarded $136,000 to undergraduates pursuing degrees in agriculture, forestry and related fields at Auburn University.
Auburn student and Madison County native Hunter Rials said he’s proud to be a part of the agricultural industry’s network.
“I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for agriculture,” said Rials, who grew up on a small family farm. “I always knew I wanted to be involved, but I didn’t know how I would get there.”
Rials is a senior studying agricultural business and economics. This is his fourth year receiving the AFAF scholarship.
“College of Ag students take rigorous classes,” Rials said. “Scholarships like these allow students to stay in the library to study versus having to work a full-time job to pay tuition. I speak for myself and the other students when I say, ‘Thank you, Alfa, for allowing us to become better men and women in agriculture.’”
Four special scholarships were awarded to honor the legacy of leaders in agriculture. Poultry science junior William Bradberry of Cullman County received the Ronny Donaldson Memorial Scholarship; horticulture sophomore Nate Payne of Lee County received the Jimmy Witt Memorial Scholarship; Lawrence County’s Taylor Hood, a junior studying animal sciences with an animal/allied industry concentration, earned the Mike Henry Memorial Scholarship; and Emily Brown, a sophomore studying fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic sciences, received the Alabama Catfish Producers Scholarship.
North Alabama scholarship winners were Luke Troutman of Cullman County; Maddie Jackson of DeKalb County; Will Rich of Jackson County; Tori Spry of Lauderdale County; LeAnne Burch of Lawrence County; Preston Haney of Limestone County; Elise Kennamer, Hunter Rials, Jacob Bates and Wesley Harvey, all of Madison County; Ella Kate Seymour of Marshall County; Lee Murray of Morgan County; and Halle Lancaster of Winston County.
Federation President Jimmy Parnell encouraged the group of AU students to distinguish themselves through initiative and problem solving.
“Work hard,” said Parnell, an AU College of Agriculture alumnus. “Nothing will make you stand out in a crowd like working hard. I encourage you to learn to think and to make friends with fellow classmates and professors.”
Parnell expressed the Federation’s commitment to Auburn and the next generation.
“This organization was formed almost 104 years ago at AU for the purpose of representing farmers and rural citizens of Alabama,” Parnell said. “The future of the Federation and our state is in the hands of young people.”
Applications for the 2025-2026 scholarships open Nov. 1 at AlfaFarmers.org/scholarships. The deadline to apply is Feb. 1, 2025.
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